Variable Interest Entities (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Aircraft Term_Loan Subsidiary Entity $ / shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Borrowings from secured financings, net of debt issuance costs	$ 1,146,238	$ 1,373,131
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of VIE's consolidated | Entity	7
Number of Aircraft Sold | Aircraft	12
Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Securitization No. 2 | Class A-1 Notes [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of Variable Interest Entities | Subsidiary	2
ACS Ireland VIEs [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Percentage of common shares owned	95.00%
Limitation of trust risk to annual dividend | $ / shares	$ 2
Number of aircraft transferred to historical cost basis | Aircraft	4
Combined assets	$ 65,952
Elimination of class E-1 securities by consolidation	42,140
ACS Ireland VIEs [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | Class E-1 Securities [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Borrowings from secured financings, net of debt issuance costs	$ 40,351
Air Knight VIEs [Member] | Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary | ECA Term Financings
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Number of outstanding term loan | Term_Loan	8
Debt Instrument, Term	12 years
Net book value of flight equipment held for lease	$ 619,530
Consolidated debt outstanding	$ 390,712